The Last Project

This is my last project for my City and Guilds. It's going to be a necklace made from sheer fabric. It has taken a long time to get the right flower shape and in the end it all came down to a 50p piece.

Here you can see the relevance of the 50p. I ended up with a very nice shape and size I was a little worried how the flower would look as the flower shape had no detail on it. The detail was stitched in and it's worked very well I can already see other uses for these flowers.



Here's a close up of the stitched flowers.

Now all I need to do is decide on the shape of the necklace, how many flowers I will need and how to join it all together and of course make the flowers.

More Sketchbook Work

I have done a little bit more in my sketchbook. This time I've been looking at Star Anise. I certainly wouldn't use it for it's real intention.

It has a very pretty shape. Here I used felt tip pens in brown and black.


This is a much prettier drawing. Iused Koh-I-Noor paints, bleach and a drawing pen. I'm really pleased with this.

I have also been working on a project for my City and Guilds. For one of the finished pieces we have to use one or more of the utility stitches on the machine.

I'm making a twisted bag, which uses three fabrics.

I don't have a pattern for this bag so I'm making it up as I go along. As I've made the samples I've been sticking them in my sketchbook and doing the write up at the same time. I don't like doing the write up so this way it saves me from having to do the whole write up at the end of the project and it stops from forgetting anything.

Here you can see how the three fabrics go together and how the twist is created.

This is me just trying out some of the decorative stitches. I decided to use just two fabrics, a black and gold patterned one and a plain black decorated with one of the embroidery stitches.

This is the result, a lovely piece of fabric. All I have to do now is twist it and put it together. Guess what I'm doing this weekend!

100th Post

I can't believe I've made it to 100 posts. There is a celebratory giveaway but it's at the bottom of this post. In typical Angela fashion I've loaded my pictures onto blogger in the wrong order, sort of on par with how the rest of the week has gone.

It's been quite a while since my last post, but I have been busy.

I have spent time working on my 3D piece for my City and Guilds. It has taken longer than I anticipated and the weaving was very fiddly and annoying but I'm very pleased with the finished vessel.


I enjoyed using some of my treasures. I've been collecting them for years (as you can imagine) and it was enjoyable rooting through them deciding what to use and then of course because they are treasures they bring back memories.

Last Saturday we had a Bargello workshop at the shop and right at the last minute I decided to give it a go. I didn't get as far as the other ladies who went away with borders on their quilts and they also got them layered up and basted, but thats what happens when you don't start until 2 in the afternoon. But I am very very pleased with my quilt.

Like everything else I do it has now got more complicated. I'm not putting a straight border on - I'm going to do Prairie Points. Never done them before but I'd never done a Bargello before so I might as well jump in with both feet.

Now we get to the giveaway. A few little goodies.

And also this little bag I made. I used a very pretty batik fabric and the picture doesn't do it justice. There will of course be some chocolate.

This is another bag that I made for Steph.

Nick starts his new job on Monday. He is moving back to Wittering so Steph will be closer to home. Hopefully he will be there longer than the 18 months he has been at Henlow.

They haven't been married for a year yet but they have had their fair share of upheaval but I guess that's life in the RAF.

Enjoy your weekend and good luck with the giveaway. I've just realised I forgot to say the giveaway will be a draw, to enter just leave a comment on this post and I will do a draw next Saturday.

Two Years Are Up

Yesterday was the end of a two year journey. The City and Guilds course I have been doing came to an end. Well it did for all the other ladies but not for me I still have three projects to finish and an issue with drawing to resolve. To see some absolutely fantastic work pop over to her Fan My Flame and take a look.

This is my second project, which has to be in three dimensions. I was going to make a vase but it has evolved into a vessel/sculpture. But not an Octopus or Squid as it looks here - it's a work in progress. I thought this would be soo easy to make, how wrong can you be. It seems that I can't do anything simply. This has been part of my reason for not finishing. I get an idea and won't compromise over how things should be done, I just make it harder for myself.

I am enjoying this project, it feels as if anything goes and you can have lots of fun and it's given me the chance to use some of my treasures.

I need to tell you about a new blog on the block. Baldies On Tour the

blog is written by Gina's son Joe. He and a group of friends have gone traveling and this is their on-line record of all the fun they are having, so go and have a look.

Something Finished, Something Started

Pam and I are taking part in the Peterborough Artists' Open Studios for this and the next two weekends.
This is one piece that I am proudly showing. I'm so pleased with it. It took a long time but it was worth it.


I'm now working on my 3D piece for my City and Guilds. I had planned to make a vase but it's evolved into a 3D Structure/Vessel.
I'm enjoying this piece of work because I've got much more freedom with it and I'm using some of my treasures (which makes Neil happy). You know all those things you hang onto just because you like them and there's bound to be a use for them some day.

There is a silver heart in there somewhere, once upon a time it was actually part of a pair of earrings but I lost one, well I knew I'd need it one day.

However there is always some one who can find another use for things.

Barbara thought it would make a great Sunday Wig. Not sure what Sunday has got to do with it but hey she's got a sense of humour and let me take this photo. I'm not sure that she'll be speaking to me when she realises what I've done with it.

Thank you Barbara.

Treasures Found

Gosh how time flies. It's been ages since I last posted but I have been very busy. For a start I've tackled box mountain, which has been revealing. I found lots of things that I thought I'd lost including a shawl made for me by my grandmother in the 70's. I think I was about 10 years old and shawls were very much in fashion then. I'm so pleased to have found it, it's a real treasure. I meant to taken a picture to show you and forgot, I'll do it later in the week.

I have found one thing that got broken during the move, it didn't cause me any distress but Neil replaced it immediately! What is it I hear you asking, if Neil replaced it immediately it must be important must'nt it? Well I can assure it wasn't important, it was the lid to my food processor!

We did manage to fit in a trip to Easton Walled Gardens.


Don't the tulips look lovely, red is my favourite colour.

This is my sewing room and the mess it was in late yesterday afternoon.

I'm sharing it with the tumble dryer at the moment. Doesn't it look a mess?

This is how it looked at 10pm yesterday when I was doing some homework.

I've surprised myself with the amount of sewing paraphernalia that I've managed to accumulate over the years. Some of it I haven't seen for a long time, not sure where it's been though. I've got three button boxes and thousands maybe millions of beads but I'm not counting them.

Must go and do some work now I've got a meeting of my City and Guilds group tomorrow.

Pretty Things

Now I'm sure by now you all know that I don't like to cook so you may be wondering why I've taken a photo of two mixing bowls. They were yesterdays purchase from Tescos, no they weren't on my shopping list they just looked pretty so I bought them. I'm sure I'll use them some time if only to make some Rice Krispie chocolate cakes.

Here's something else that wasn't on my shopping list. I bought it for Steph, it's a Tea Caddy.

Steph has come to stay for the week because Nick has gone away on a course. It couldn't have worked out better for me because we are moving house on Friday and she has been a great help with the packing, which isn't finished.

Okay I know I said I wouldn't but I have. I've started another quilt, it's Attic Window and is a christmas present. The fabrics are very pretty, not ones I'd use in a quilt for myself but perfect for Neil's mum. She is a very keen gardener.

This is another two bags in the making which I am hoping to finish today.

Tomorrow I have got a meeting of my City and Guild's course. Iv'e had an email from teacher requesting a tutorial ohhh!

I haven't got time to move house.

Naughty Chair Again

Yesterday we had another City and Guilds meeting. It was a lovely day and I learnt a lot.

We had to make three samples Buttonholes, Prairie Points and Eyelets. Not quite sure why we had to make Prairie Points but the syllabus said so, so we did. Maybe it had something to do with the title for the lesson Edgings and Finishes.

Any way these are my Prairie Points. I free machined the fabric for the points before I cut it up.
I think they look very neat and I have to say it does make a nice edging. It would look great around a cushion.



This is my Eyelets sample and my favourite.

Last but not least are the Buttonholes. This is what they look like folded if you pull the two ends of fabric they open slightly and you have small tabs of fabric. They would make a great edging on a bodice, very Cleopatra.

Here they are with the fabric opened out, just to prove they are Buttonholes and that you really can do something creative with something so ordinary.

I have to tell you that even though it was a nice day and I learnt a lot and did all my samples like a good girl I still got sent to the naughty chair! I wasn't the only one being cheeky (only a little) but the only one sent to the chair. If any of the ladies are reading this and they know who they are you should be feeling a little bit sorry for me :-) I didn't go though.

Tomorrow we are off to Jersey for the Textile Showcase. I am really looking forward to a break, we have worked for the last two weeks without a day off. It will be nice to spend some time with Neil and not have to worry about what needs doing etc.

We are driving this time, well Neil is I may fall asleep. But it means we can take more luggage meaning my sewing , ie homework, ie hanging. Teacher has given me three weeks to get it finished ahhh! Neil is taking the lap top so I will let you know how I get on.

City and Guilds

Yesterday we had a meeting for the course I am doing. I had a really good day and managed to get all five samples completed during the day. Shame it doesn't mean I haven't got any homework.

These two samples are free machined fringes. The one on the left I made using a cotton thread and the one on the right is made in cable stitch. I like both samples and can see myself using these methods some time in the future.

This one is made using one of the utility stitches on the machine. It was stitched onto water soluble fabric.

This one I'm not keen on. It was also stitched on water soluble fabric and is free machined.

This one is a piped finish. The cord is covered with a piece of fabric that I embroidered first. I'm reserving opinion on this one.

We all had a lovely time yesterday and there was a lot of frivolity and sillyness going on. I'm not quite sure how it happened but I got sent to the naughty step by teacher and when she realised there wasn't a step to send me to I got sent to the naughty chair. Then Gill (another student) said I should go and stand in the corner. I thought I had been a good girl - I did all my work, it is possible that I might have been a little cheeky but only in good humour.

First Meeting

On Wednesday we had the first meeting of the year of my City and Guilds class. It was great to get back to things and catch up with people. We had a lovely day.

However I wasn't as pleased with the work we had to do. I must point out that it wasn't the teachers fault it is just some thing we have to do.
I don't like drawing - that's not really true the trouble is I can't draw and I wish I could.

These are paper curls mmm.



This is meant to be a drawing of a crumpled (how my brain felt) piece of paper. This term we are looking at form and we had to look at the shape and shadows - I think. Now you know why I can't draw. Neil would say it's a lack of understanding and he's right, just don't tell him!

On a more positive note the hanging is coming along nicely. I have finished with the embellisher and cut my rectangles, they are looking very neat.

I have loaded them onto blogger in reverse order by mistake (I don't understand computers either) this will be the first piece.

This is the second or middle piece and is the wrong way round.

This is the top.

And this is the grass - in the making. It's sheer fabric sandwiched between water soluble fabric.
I have stitched triangles of various sizes and on different colours. I also used some lining fabric.

This is what they look like once they have been cut out and rinsed. Seaweed according to Pam, she has a point but it's definitely grass.

So at last I am making progress with this project and I feel much happier about it. Hopefully it will soon be finished.